Features

Treating Long COVID Is Rife With Guesswork

Experts are casting a wide net for treatments, with few ready for formal clinical trials.

People With Long COVID Face Barriers to Government Disability Benefits

Many people with long COVID are falling through the cracks of a system that was difficult to navigate even before the pandemic.

When Cancer Screenings Are Free but Follow-ups Aren’t, Patients Foot the Bill

Plus, a court ruling has the potential to invalidate required free screenings, including for breast, colorectal, cervical and lung cancer.

Will COVID Spike Again This Fall? 6 Tips to Help You Stay Safe

Get a COVID booster, especially if you’re older or your immune system is compromised, and don’t forget the flu shot.

COVID-19 Complacency: “A Hard Shift for the Immunocompromised”

Safety tips for the evolving pandemic. Plus: Which groups—such as those with cancer or HIV—are at higher risk for COVID-19 complications?

How Well Do Hospitals Track Discrimination and Culturally Competent Care?

Patient satisfaction surveys fail to ask whether the patients experienced discrimination or received culturally competent care.

Is COVID ‘Under Control’ in the US? Experts Say Yes

Biden may not have used the right word when he described the pandemic as “over,” but things are trending in the right direction.

COVID Still Kills, but the Demographics of its Victims Are Shifting

Latinos have seen a striking decline in COVID deaths while white people account for a larger proportion.

Did the U.S. Jump the Gun With the New Omicron-Targeted Vaccines?

Updated boosters could go to the “worried well” who have good insurance rather than to those at highest risk.

Many Preventive Medical Services Cost Patients Nothing. Will a Texas Court Decision Change That?

The ruling centered on PrEP as HIV prevention but could apply to cancer screenings and other services and drugs.

Unraveling the Interplay of Omicron, Reinfections, and Long COVID

Whether omicron coronavirus variants cause long COVID symptoms as often—and as severe—as previous variants is a matter of heated study.

Wastewater Surveillance Has Become a Critical Covid Tracking Tool, but Funding Is Inconsistent

Samples collected from sewage water suggest viral activity is higher than the number of reported cases suggests.

How to Get Rid of Medical Debt — Or Avoid It in the First Place

Some 100 million people—including 41% of U.S. adults—have health care debt, according to a recent KFF survey.

What If Hospice Services Weren’t Just for the Dying?

A pilot program allowed people with cancer, AIDS and other illnesses to receive hospice care without ending treatments for their conditions.

Got Long COVID? Medical Expertise Is Vital, and Seniors Should Prepare to Go Slow

Older adults typically have a harder time bouncing back from serious illness, including COVID.

Long COVID Symptoms Are Often Overlooked in Seniors

The higher rate of post-COVID symptoms in older adults is likely due to a higher incidence of chronic disease and physical vulnerability.